Bai Fan spoke bluntly, his tone coming off as harsh.
“What else could she mean? Our senses aren't sharp enough, and unlike Sister Yun, we don't naturally have what it takes to harm those things.”
“If we go in, she'd have to split her focus to protect us. That way, not only would we be unable to help, but we might even get in her way.”
Zhao Si slapped him hard on the back of the head.
“You brat, when I told you to explain, couldn't you have been a bit more tactful? Look at how harsh your words sound. Fine, Qingyun makes sense. I'll head to the main gates of the Liu Residence first and let the Head Constable know. You two grab whatever gear you need and come meet up with us.”
After finishing, Zhao Si hurried outside.
Gu Qingyun and Bai Fan didn't linger either, each returning to their rooms to grab their weapons and lanterns. Looking at Little Black, she scooped the cat into her arms. Little Black had keen eyesight, making it great for sounding warnings, and it could also help protect the people in the Liu Residence.
Reaching the gates of the Liu Residence, Head Constable Liu spotted Gu Qingyun and walked straight up to her.
“Zhao Si told me everything. Since we won't be of much help, we'll wait outside. If you haven't come out after an hour, we'll all go in together to rescue you.”
Gu Qingyun was deeply moved.
“There's no need. Even if I'm outmatched, I can retreat on my own. Rest assured, Uncle Liu. Time waits for no one—I'll head in now. The earlier I go in, the better the chances of survival for those inside.”
After listening to a few final words of caution from Head Constable Liu, Gu Qingyun pushed open the main gates and walked straight inside. The 【creak】 of the doors opening reached everyone's ears, giving them goosebumps.
The moment Gu Qingyun stepped inside, she immediately felt the difference. It was still autumn, and temperatures outside remained relatively warm, but as soon as she crossed the threshold of the Liu Residence, the temperature plummeted. While there was still some light outside, entering the estate made the entire compound feel significantly dimmer.
Gu Qingyun's expression remained unchanged. Although the situation clearly signaled that whatever was inside possessed no small amount of cultivation, she did not feel afraid. Little Black, however, had been resisting with its whole body ever since entering the residence, its expression fierce.
Gu Qingyun patted its little head to comfort it.
Not being familiar with the layout of the Liu Residence, Gu Qingyun simply headed in the direction Head Constable Liu had mentioned.
The deeper she went, the colder it grew and the darker the sky became. Not a single sound could be heard throughout the entire Liu Residence; only Gu Qingyun's 【tap-tap-tap】 of footsteps echoed in the silence, particularly distinct in the quiet environment.
Ever since developing her sense of Qi, the ocean of Qi in Gu Qingyun's dantian—which had initially been no larger than a water vat—had expanded to the size of a small river. The progress was remarkably fast, making this bit of cold completely insignificant to her.
In fact, the reason people felt cold upon entering was that the Yin energy here was excessively thick. Staying here for too long would cause minor illnesses at best, severe sickness at worst, and could even shorten one's lifespan.
Everything had been fine just days ago, so she wondered who the source of this Yin energy was and what karma they shared with the Liu Residence to kill several people in a single night.
She encountered no one along the way and walked straight to Young Master Liu's courtyard, as directed by Head Constable Liu, before standing still and calling out into the interior:
“Is anyone there?”
Eldest Young Master Liu Zhiyuan and his wife, Qin Yuanniang, stared outside with wide eyes. Thirty to forty servants, maidservants, and guards stood firmly in front of the couple to protect them, despair flashing in their eyes.
It was happening again. The previous two times had been just like this: Xiao Duan and Xiao Mo had run out joyfully to greet whoever was there, only to see nothing. What followed were several ghostly figures. If two of those spectral figures hadn't blocked the others, Xiao Duan and Xiao Mo would likely have been dead long ago.
“Is anyone there?”
Hearing the voice, Li Lai Fu felt it sounded familiar. Cautiously cracking open the door, he only saw a lantern flickering dimly in the dark night. Gritting his teeth, he stepped straight outside.
Seeing this, another servant hiding in the room looked anxious and tried to pull him back, but several people behind grabbed him instead. He struggled desperately:
“Lai Fu, come back! We'll find another way—there's always a way!”
“Brother Wangshu, lower your voice! Don't attract that thing! Brother Lai Fu is doing this for the young master and young mistress. Maybe he really can bring help.”
Liu Wangshu looked at them, shoved their hands off forcefully, and dashed straight out the door.
Li Lai Fu walked nervously to the courtyard entrance. This time, he saw clearly: standing before him was the constable he had met once before.
Her surroundings were brightly lit, and the fog seemed afraid, not daring to come within three paces of her. The moment Li Lai Fu saw her, he nearly burst into tears.
“Constable Gu, you've come to save us!” Finishing his words, he looked outside but saw no one else. Noticing his reaction, Gu Qingyun explained:
“Don't bother looking. It's just me.”
Hearing this, a trace of disappointment flashed in Li Lai Fu's eyes. But seeing Gu Qingyun standing there safe and sound, hope reignited within him.
“Constable Gu, hurry inside! That thing will be coming back soon.”
Liu Wangshu jogged over and caught up with Gu Qingyun and Li Lai Fu. Seeing Li Lai Fu acting so respectfully, noticing the constable uniform, and then recognizing Gu Qingyun's face, a look of pleasant surprise burst from his eyes.
Like Li Lai Fu, most of their young master's outside affairs were handled by him and Lai Fu. They had also investigated Gu Qingyun together, so he was well aware of her capabilities.
With her here, the chances of survival for their young master, young mistress, and the rest of the servants were much higher.
He bowed and scraped repeatedly.
“So it's Constable Gu! It's wonderful to have you here.”
Gu Qingyun nodded at him and was ushered by the two toward the main wing. Seeing the three of them, the people in the room exchanged bewildered glances.
However, knowing that Li Lai Fu and Liu Wangshu were the eldest young master's trusted confidants, they quickly opened the door to welcome all three inside.
Ignoring the crowd, Li Lai Fu and Liu Wangshu bypassed everyone and led Gu Qingyun directly into the innermost room, bringing her right in front of Liu Zhiyuan and his wife, Qin Yuanniang.
“Constable Gu, I didn't expect you to come. It seems Heaven has not forsaken me.” Accompanied by Qin Yuanniang, Liu Zhiyuan walked straight up to her to express his gratitude.
After a brief round of courtesies, Gu Qingyun cut straight to the chase:
“Master Liu, anyone can see that what's happening to your family is no ordinary matter, and it's not something average people can resolve. According to Head Constable Liu, everyone who died last night was from Master Liu's main courtyard. Presumably, the issue lies on his end. Do you know what happened?”
Liu Zhiyuan let out a sigh.
“Sigh... I won't hide it from you. When my father was attacked, the servant girls and boys outside heard the name 【Mama Zhang】. Though it might sound strange, my late mother's nanny, who passed away years ago, shared that very name.”
Gu Qingyun looked at him in surprise.
“Pardon me for asking, but when did this Mama Zhang pass away?”
“She passed away on the very same day my mother died, back when I was only twelve,” Liu Zhiyuan said quietly, his eyes dark and somber. His wife held his hand, offering silent comfort.
Just as Liu Zhiyuan was about to say more, the fog inside the compound grew thicker without anyone noticing, taking on an eerie appearance.
The servant boys and maidservants in the outer room all came scrambling toward them like headless flies, instinctively running toward what they perceived as the safest place.
Rate on N.U.
